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The Shadow of His Thoughts page1
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The Shadow of his Thoughtsby J. Michael Straczynski
page 1
The dream was the same.t was always the same.
The chakat lay on the ground before him,
s four
egs bound by ropes, horns scratching the dryround beneath its head. The sun was hot
verhead.
A voice, always the same voice, whispered
rom
ehind Londo. You know what you have to do.
What you have always done.
Londo stared at the creature, and its gaze
met
is own. The eyes that looked back at him wereerce, proud, unbowed. And somehow
amiliar. In the
ream it said to him, soundlessly and wordlessly
ut
with absolute clarity.
t is duty. You cannot fight duty.
I can't do it, Londo thought back, and
ooked
own. The sword was in his hand.Yes, you can, it thought at him, and it
truggled
o raise its head, exposing its throat. Waiting
or the
eath blow.
Sobbing, Londo brought down the sword,
nd
watched the life fade away in the creature's
The title of emperor was just a cover, alsoarranged by the Drakh . . . a means to an end.
But I 'm not supposed to think these things, he
reminded himself as he felt the presence of the
Keeper
stirring at the juncture where his shoulder met ali
flesh, where nerves and neural pathways merged
that his will was no longer entirely his own. He w
able to shield
only his most private thoughts; if he subvocalizedor
brought his thoughts to the surface, theKeeper cou
sense the shape of them, and relay them by
telepathic link to the Drakh, working quietly in th
recesses and ancient tunnels beneath the royal
palace . . . building a future for his world whose
shape he did not like to consider for too long. Bu
at least it was a future, which is more than his
people would have had if he had refused to accepthe Keeper.
No one else could see the Keeper unless it
allowed
them to see it, which was usually a prelude to
extermination. He, on the other hand, could see it
the time, but tried desperately not to let his gaze
wander in that direction
more than necessary.
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yes.
Tears fresh on his face, Londo awoke tohe
ound of bells. Bells that had tolled for one
our
ach morning every day for the last six days.ix
ays since he had taken on the role of emperor;
ix
ays since the bombardment of Centauri Prime
ad
eft vast tracts of the capital city devastated and
n
lames. All work stopped while the bells tolled,
nd theworld was momentarily united in silence for
hose who had
ied in a conflict that should never have
appened . . . a conflict that had been secretly
ngineered by that alien
ace known as the Drakh to produce rage and
esentment
n his people -- emotions that he would have to
urture into something darker with the passingf years.
That was, after all, his job.
Denial had always been one of his greatest
strengths.
The bells stopped. Had it really been an hour
already? He closed his eyes as he did when he w
a child, against mornings that came too soon, hop
somehow that the day and his responsibilities wou
disappear, and he could be free. It was a fleeting
hope and, like all hopes, daily crushed under theweight of the waking world.
He opened his eyes, the moment passed, and
Emperor
Mollari the Second rose to begin the seventh day
his rule.
Minister Vole was wringing his hands againone
over the other in a motion so tight that Londocouldn't tell where one hand finished and the othe
began. "I'm sure His Excellency was informed --
"If I had been informed, then I would know.
Since
I knew nothing of this until you mentioned it, then
either
I was not
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The Shadow of his Thoughtsby J. Michael Straczynski
page 2
nformed, or I have suddenly gone senile and
hould be
aken out and shot. Which of those possiilities
re you suggesting is the case here?"
Vole's hands moved faster, "I meant no
ffense, Excellency, because certainly Your
Excellency's memory
s in perfect condition, the whole world is
onfident in
Your Excellency's magnificent abilities and --"
"Vole?" twelve hundred years earlier, during
he reign of Emperor Morell, as a gift for his
wife Celina. Not long thereafter, she went mad
nd hanged herself from the
ighest of the palace's four towers. Londo
wondered
f there was a cause-and-effect relationship
here, given
he garish bad taste that had gone into the design
f the carriage, the almost grotesque indulgence
f encrusting it
nd to end with every gemstone to be found on
Centauri Prime.
If I had to ride in this thing every day, I'drobably
ill myself, too.
"Is this really necessary?" Londo asked
esignedly, already suspecting the answer.
Minister Vole nodded. Londo stared at the
minister's hands. Vole whipped them behind his
ack and continued nodding. "It's tradition,
Your Excellancy."
Upon his return to the royal palace, a great
dinner
was held in honor of Emperor Morell. There his
family
gathered, including his nephew Elfeni, whose nam
was
dear to him. As Elfeni rose to toast the health of
uncle, the emperor cried out and the Imperial Gu
seized Elfeni, stopping him as he drew back a bla
to strike down the emperor. Elfeni later fonfessed
a
secret alliance with those who had attempted to
bring about a civil war in which he would be mademperor.
His life saved by prophecy, the emperor return
to Tuwain, where he gave the prophetess Malia a
tenth
share of his fortune. He pledged that for as long a
an emperor sat upon the throne of Centauri Prim
there would always be a prophetess in Tuwain, th
she would ever be in royal favor, her needs and
wants attended to, her name revered.And so it was that over the years, with the pass
of
each prophetess, another came to take her place i
Tuwain. On that day, each emperor would travel
the same carriage and the same road taken by
Morell to Tuwain, to personally oversee her
enshrinement as prophetess supreme.
The last prophetess in the line that began with
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The Shadow of his Thoughtsby J. Michael Straczynski
page 3
which were now overgrown and little used. The
rowds
rew smaller and appeared less often, until they
isappeared altogether. From time to time Londo
limpsed a lone travelerwalking along the road who
ooked on, astonished, at the passing parade. The
est of the time he was left alone with his thoughts,nd
e little cared for the company. He did best when the
usiness of rebuilding left him no time to dwell on his
itua-
on, or the choices that had brought him to this point.
utalone in the carriage, with only the bumps in the
oad
nd the silent forests on either side to keep him
ompany,e was left only with his thoughts, , hi doubts, his
ecriminations--
---and the occasional whisper from the Keeper
esiding invisibly on his shoulder, reminding him of
he
hings they needed him to do upon his return to the
alace. He wanted a drink desperately, but since his
radual discovery that alcohol was the one thing that
She spoke without looking up. "I am m
emperor's servant, and I gladly honor him
with my utmost obedience."
"A fine answer," he said, and glanced
sharply at the
older woman. "Also we rehearsed."
Delasi smiled and nodded. "She takes
instruction well, and wishes only to be of
service."
"Of course," Londo said. "Perhaps the t
of you
would care to ride with me in the royal
carriage. We could talk further."
The girl glanced up for a moment, and
looked almost
frightened. Delasi only nodded. "We wou
be most honored, Your Majesty."
"And how long have you been aprophetess?"
Londo asked. The countryside passed slow
outside the carriage.
"She has been able to see since she was
barely a
child of three seasons," Delasi said.
"An advanced case, to be sure," Londo
said. "You
would almost think that a child who could
at three
could be allowed to speakat sixteen."
Delasi's lips pursed in a way Londo foun
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ould buy him a moment's privacy from the Keeper
don't think it too loud, don't let them know you've
gured that part out yet, it's the only tool you have),
e saved that for moments when it could be used to his
dvantage.
By night they camped by the side of the road,
where
e could at last contact the royal palace by viewer andeceive updates on the state of his people. Then a few
ours of fitful sleep, and back on the road again.
On the third day out, another procession caught up
with his own. The carriages were white, lined with
white veils, and drawn by pure white dromes. Londo
ecognized the markings and knew that they contained
he new prophetess of Tuwain.
He emerged and went to meet them. As he drew
loser, the doors of the main white carriage opened,nd amid a shower of white flower petals, the
rophetess emerged with her entourage. She was
ressed all in
white, her face veiled; even so, Londo could see her
well enough, and took a breath in astonishment.
She was the most beautiful creature he had ever
een.
And she could not have been more than sixteen
easons.This can't be right, Londo thought. She's too young
y far.
As he stopped before them, an older woman--the
oung
irl's escort, he supposed--bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty," she said. "I am Delasi Miro of
House Miro. It is my honor to present to your Shiri
Dei of House Dei, whom I am honored to serve as
uardian.""It is an honor, good lady," Londo said, his
uriosity piqued even further. Under Centari law, to
e guardian
was to speak on all matters of importance for
omeone
oo young to speak for himself or herself. Anyone
wishing to benefit from Shiri's prophecies would have
o go through Delasi first. Interesting, he thought.
most
satisfying. Any further, and he was sure he
face would disappear entirely into her head
It was a trick he would actually pay to see.
With her silence won, for the moment
at least, he looked back to Shiri. "What can
you tell me
of my future, child?" he asked.For the first time, she met his gaze. Her
eyes were windows onto an old soul, frame
with resignation and a sorrow that should
never have been allowd into one so young.
Her gaze seemed to pass right through him
a
place somewhere behind his head. Then sh
looked away again. "Perhaps His Majesty
would prefer to hear of other things," shesaid.
"The emperor asked you a question,"
Delasi said. "Answer truthfully."
Shiri considered her words carefully. "I
little joy,
and much sorrow," she said at last. "I see f
and death
and pain. I see you betrayed by almost
everyone youhave ever trusted."
"Almosteveryone?"
"Your greatest enemy is also your greate
friend, and
the trust you place in him is rewarded at the
end of days.
He is your freedom, and you are his. And i
the end. . ."
She hesitated, then forced herself to contin"In the end, you die in the arms of your
friend, and he dies in yours,
that a world might live."
For a moment, Londo felt the world slide
out from
under him. The image she described was a
dream that had
always been with him, the dream of his ow
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Are
ou the child's mother?"
"No, Highness, her mother died in childbirth. She
as been raised by her father."
"Ah. And where is he?"
"He did not come. His . . . . business does not
llow
im to be away for long periods, and it was decidedhat
he would do better on her own."
Londo smiled. It was decidedalmost always meant
decided it would be to my best advantage, but I don't
want to say that. He looked now to the young girl. "Is
his what you wanted, child?"
death, in which he and G'Kar of Narn ende
their long and strange relationship by
strangling one another to death. It was a
relationship born in mutual hatred, the kind
rage that
only a conquered people can have against
those who have enslaved them, as Centauri
Prime and enslaved Narn.G'Kar had grown from a resistance fighter
a leader
among his people following their liberation
and had finally been assigned as ambassado
to Babylon 5, as Londo had
in his earlier days. There they had fought,
and squabbled, and gradually carved out a
mutual respect that had, impossibly, grown
into something approaching friendship.Until this moment, he had alwasys believ
that the dream
pointed to a final act of vengeance by on
against the other.
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The Shadow of his Thoughtsby J. Michael Straczynski
page 4
ut now, in her words, the the first time he allowed
imself the possibility of hope. That a world might
ve, she had said. But which world? Narn or
Centauri Prime?
He stirred, realizing that he had sat silent for too
ong.
He cleared his throat. "And what else do you see?"
Her face darkened again, and her gaze drifted to
is shoulder. Londo felt for a moment that she
ould see
what was there, what no one else could see.
mpossible,
e thought. But the Keeper felt it too, and Londo
ensed
go quiet . . . watching, waiting.
"I see . . . shadows," she said. "It is hard for me
o see what sort of shadows, or what throws them,
ut I see
ieces of shadows all over the palace, and beneath
, gradually spreading across our world. They are
he ones who will bring the fire. They are the ones
who will bring the pain.
"I do not know who they are," she said, "I know
nlyhat that they are. And that they are here."
Londo said nothing, knowing with cold certainty
ow
lose her words were to the truth, that the Drakh
ad
nce served an advanced race known only as the
hadows, gone now, but who left behind thier
weapons
"Any news?" Londo asked.
"I'm told that repairs to the spaceport are
nearly
complete; we should be able to reopen the rest
it by week's end."
"Good. Contact the ministry for urban repa
and tell
them to take at least an hour off to celebrate."
"I will, Excellency."
"Anything else?"
"Nothing significant. The usual requests fo
your
attention, debates in the Centarum that need to
be resolved--"
"They can wait. I need you find out
everything you can
concerning a woman, Delasi of House Miro."
"Of course, Excellency. Is it important?"
Londo stared at the screen. "I'm sorry. For
moment there I imagined myself to be the
emperor. You see, when the emperor points t
something--anything--it automatically become
important. I am pointing to this, Vole. If you
are suggesting it might be something other tha
important, then I must no longer be the emper
Of course, that would imply sedition on your
part, which last I heard was punishable by dea
so--"
"I will get on it immediately, Excellency."
"Thank you, Minister."
The screen blipped off. Londo allowed a
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nd their servants and their allies.
Pieces of shadows indeed. Slowly he realized
hat
his was not just a hit-and-miss prophetess,
uarding her words or disguising them in metaphor
nd imagery. She
was, as the humans said, the Real Deal. And she
new things that the Drakh would not want her ornyone else
o know.
An instant later, from the Keeper on his shoulder
ame
whisper that slipped into the back of his thoughts,
nstructions relayed from the Drakh in the capital
ity
who monitored the Keeper as it monitored Londo.
The girl must die, the Keeper whispered, andLondo's blood ran cold in his veins.
Do it yourself if you have to, the whisper
ontinured,
ut it must be done before she can take up her
osition.
Before she can speak with authority, and betray
ur presence.
She must die.
The rest of the day's ride was conducted inn
neasy silence punctuated only by occassional
olite comments. Where Shiri had ben the one to
void his gaze, now Londo did the same, knowing
what he knew. His thoughts raced back and forth
etween two poles:
If he had to do as the Drakh instructed, how
ould hensure her death without compromising himself or
evealing their intentions?
And, deeper in his thoughts, where he hoped the
Drakh
ould not find it, how could he avoi having to kill
er?
He was greatful for the interlude when they
eched the
smile;
playing with Vole was almost too easy. He
found he
actually missed sparring with G'Kar and
Sheridan,
even Vir . . . at least there he had some
competition.
He closed the viewer and decided to take awalk before
retiring. He signaled to the Imperial Guard, w
would maintain their distance out of respect,
while staying near enough to intervene should
run into trouble.
The woods near the campsite were thick wi
trees,
their silver and gray leaves already turning bla
and gold in anticipation of winter. A narrowpath ran through the plae where they grew
together the thickest. Londo walked the well-
worn path with confidence, knowing he need
only
make a sound to attract the guards, when he
heard another sound nearby.
Someone was crying.
He slowed, edging toward a clearing in the
woods.There in the double moonlight he saw Shiri in
the arms
of a young man. He was holding her so tightl
that Londo thought she might be pulled throug
him to the other side.
"You shouldn't have come, Corlo," she was
saying.
"It's dangerous."
"I don't care. I had to see you. I spoke withyour
father. He doesn't want you doing this any mo
than I do. It's that woman, Delasi . . . she
preassured him into making her your guardian
She uses people. She doesn't care
about you, Shiri. All she cares about is power
"I know that, Corlo. I know what she is, an
what price
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nal rest stop. The next day's journey would see
hem in
uwain. While his entourage set up his tent and
repared dinner, he moved apart from them and
pened the portable
iewer that would put him in touch with the royal
alace.
Minister Vole's face appeared on the viewerwithin a second of it's being acitvated. He's
robably been sitting
y the screen all day again, waiting for the call,
Londo concluded, Vole's eagerness could make
ven a dead man nervous. "Yes, Excellency?"
I will pay. But this is the only way to keep ou
family's
honor. House Dei is without power and witho
money. Soon all we have will be sold or take
away. My father could even be sold into bond
slavery to pay off our debts.
I have a gift that guarantees that no matter wh
happens to me, my family will be taken care oforever. My father
needs this, even if he can't see it himself I can
turn my
back on him."
Corlo pulled her from his chest and looked
her. "Can you turn your back on me?"
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The Shadow of his Thoughtsby J. Michael Straczynski
page 5
"I'm not--"
"Once you're enshrined at Tuwain, you are not
llowed
o marry, not allowed the company of any man.
hat's the law. We'll never be together again.
Can you do that to us? Can you do that toourself?"
"Yes." she said, and looked away. "I can.
ecause I
ave to. I have obligations. It's my
esponsibility, my duty--"
"Shiri, I love you."
"I know," she said, and the frief in her voice
ore
hrough Londo like a blade. "And I love you.And I
ove my father, and I love my family. Now I
ave to
hoose between them and you. It's not right, and
's
ot fair, and more than life itself I want to run
way
with you, right now, where no one could ever
nd us.ut I can't, Corlo. I can't . . . "
Then suddenly she turned and ran into the
woods,
eading back toward the campground. The
oung man called after her, but she didn't
nswer. He stood there
or several minutes, hoping she would return,
oping for
ago to House Davo. Delasi herself is said to be
very intelligent, though i get the impression we
could subsititute the word 'ruthless' and very few
would argue the point. She is
political, and a manipulator. Word is she has
found some way to regain power and influence f
herself and her House.
And her name is Shiri, Londo thought.
The rest was little more than gossip, of no rea
use.
Londo switched off the viewer and sat quietly in
the dark
for a moment. He could feel the Keeper stirring
reminding him of the guards who stood outside,
who could remove
Shiri without question or hesitation.
If I have Shiri killed, as you ask, it will greatly
complicate matters in the royal court. There wi
be in investigation. Even I can't arbitrarily have
someone killed; there are rules since Cartagia's
day. A woman like Delasi could find ways to
exploit that; your position could be compromise
Shiri must be eliminated, the Keeper relayed
back.
Then let me do it in my own way.
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word, a sign that somehow she might change
er mind.
But she did not return, and after a while, he
urned and
walked slowly away, disappearing into the
woods.
Out of the corner of his eye, Londo saw the
mperial Guard edging forward, to see what hadaused him to
top. He waved them back, letting the silence
nger in the clearing. In such a short time, how
ould he have come to care so much for some one
e knew he would have to kill?
Londo looked up at the twin moons overhead.
What
m I to do now? he wondered. There were forty-
evenods in the Centauri pantheon; surely one of
hem had a solution to his problelm.
The night, however, gave no reply to his
uestion.
The dream was the same. It was always theame.
The creature lay on the hard, dry ground, itsyes staring up into his own.
You cannot fight duty.
The flash of the sword.
The tears.
Great Maker, Londo thought as he sat up, his
ace wet.
don't know how much more of this I can take.
It was still dark, well before dawn. As his
yesleared, he saw the viewer blinking with a
message-waiting signal. He rose, shook off the
ream, and went to it.
Predictably, it was Vole. "I found the
nformation
ou requested, Majesty. It took no small doing,
nd I
went to great lengths to---"
After a long pause, the Keeper whispered bac
Very well! But we will be watching.
Londo stepped out of the tent into the chill,predawn
air and made his way to Shiri's tent. The guard
glanced up
at his approach but made no effort to stop himfrom entering her bedchamber.
Times had changed, but emperors still had
certain. . .privileges.
Londo guessed that the same thought that had
occurred to the guard also came to Shiri when sh
opened her eyes and saw him standing over her
bed. He put a hand on her shoulder. She trembl
under his touch.
"Majesty---" she began."Shhh . . ." Londo said.
"But I haven't . . . I have never . . ."
"I have, many times, and as the humans say, i
not all it's cracked up to be." He smiled down a
her. "Don't worry. Now, put on your clothes,
quickly. We have much to do, and little time in
which to do it."
He led Shiri into the tented area thatprotected the
royal carriage from the elements and dismissed t
guard, who glanced back at them with obvious
suspicion about
what the two of them might want to do alone in
carriage.
Do I look that much the lecher? Londo though
and decided he probably did. No matter.
Time to get to work.Londo approached the carriage. "You start at
the back,"
he said, "and I will begin at the front. We'll mee
somewhere in the middle."
"Majesty, what am I supposed to do?"
"Have you ever plucked a bird for dinner,
child?"
"Yes, but---"
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Londo fast-forwarded for thirty seconds. That
was how
ong it usually took Vole to explain in
xcruciating detail how
ard it had been to find the requested information
efore he
ould finally get to the point.
"---the lady Delasi and House Miro are of oldlood, but
ttle money. They sold their position in the royal
ourt years
"Then you can help me pluck this one," he sai
and
twisted free a small gem from the side of the
carriage. He
placed it in her hand, and her eyes went wide.
Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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The Shadow of his Thoughtsby J. Michael Straczynski
page 6
"Take them carefully, one at a time, from places
where there are so many that they will not be missed.
y the time we meet in the middle, you will have
nough
o restore your family's fortune for the next five
enerations."
She met his gaze, and he saw suspicion there. "What
will it cost me?" she asked.
He placed his hands on her shoulders. "A little of
our
onor. It is a terrible price but the sting passes with
me.
would do it for you, but I have so little honor left that itwould hardly buy you a small cottage in the outer
rovinces.
"Now, enough talk," he said. "Start plucking."
The sky was starting to lighten as Londo hurriedack to his tent. He glanced back briefly to see the lone
mperial guard he has assigned to the task riding off on
banned from any contact with the royal
court. Her family
is declared free of any penalties because
they were
innocent in this, but no one in the palace
will attempt to contact her for any reasonTo be shunned from our presence is surel
the worst punishment that can be devise
to fit the crime."
The crowd nodded. Good, Londo thoug
Now no one will try to contact her, which
would yeild information that might
contradict what I've just said.
Now for the fun part.
He sarted into his tent. "Lady Delasi,"shot back. "Attend."
She followed him inside. He sat and
regarded her
silently for a moment. She had regained
some of her composure, and was studying
him just as he was studying her.
"You may speak," he said.
Delasi straightened. "Majesty, I am not
prophetess.""This is true."
"Then you knowingly lied."
He shrugged. "It is impossible to lie
otherwise."
"And you expect me to go along with
this?"
"I do."
"Why?"
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roneback, Shiri clinging to his back. If she looked
ack
t him, he could not tell.
He was out of breath, but smiling broadly.
These were the moments he enjoyed most.
It took him only a few moments to rouse his
ntourage. He raised such a clatter and an alarm that the
uards and functionaries and plenipotentiaries andscorts and chaperones and dromesman piled into the
learing half dressed. He hid his amusement at the
ight, especially
when Delasi appeared in their midst, her dress hanging
n ways never intended by her disigner, her body, or the
Great Maker.
"We have been tricked," he said, his voice carrying
hrough the clearing. "And it is on your behalf, Delasi,
hat we have endured this charade.""Majesty, I---"
"You have not been invited to speak," he snapped,
nd she averted her eyes. Londo turned his attention
o the rest of them. "The young girl Shiri, of House Dei,
s no more a prophetess than I am. She came to see me
ast night, in tears---tears, I tell you---over her
ecpetion. She believed she was acting in a good cause,
ut the
weight of her pretense and the terrible secret behind itwere simply too much for the poor creature to bear."
The crowd was silent, waiting for the rest. Londo
et the moment grow, enjoying himself beneath his
arefully outraged exterior.
"The secret . . . is that it is Delasi who is the true
rophetess," he said, noting with satisfaction the look of
tunned disbelief on her face. "Shiri only repeated
what she was told to say by Delasi, who did not want
he title of prophetess supreme because of the greaturden involved. A life of solitude and responsibility,
without marriage or love. Shiri was willing to sacrifice
ll this for the sake of our people, and allow Delasi to
work through her. But here, on the night before her
nshrinement, knowing the responsibility and the
mportance of the ceremony, she found she could
o longer carry through with the deception."
"Though Shiri believed she was acting in the best
"Sit, and I will tell you," Londo said.
stretched
out on the high seat as she took her place
opposite him.
"Let us speak plainly, Delasi. You and I,
we are political creatures. We come from
the same amoral gene pool.
You attached yourself to Shiri because yohoped to
use her to your own advantage, to exert
influence over
the nobles and others who would come to
Tuwain seeking guidance."
"Majesty, I would never---"
"Yes, you would. With you as Shiri's
guardian, they
would have to go through you in order tospeak with her. You could choose who w
and was not allowed to see
her, indulge favors, accept bribes, use you
access to her, and to them, to improve the
condition of House Miro.
"But now you have a unique opportuni
Delasi. You
and I both know that sooner or later, Shir
would backout of the deal once she began to truly
understand how you were using her. She
has an annoying nobility of spirit that
almost guarantees conflict over issues of
morality. That problem has now been
eliminated, the pebble removed
from your shoe. Try as you might, Shiri
would never have altered her prophecies
suit your needs. As prophetess yourself,you can say anything you want."
From her expression, Londo knew she
was intrigued,
but still cautious. "There is still a problem
Majesty. As I said before, I am not a
prophetess. I cannot see the
future."
Londo smiled. "Neither can I. What
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nterests of all involved, a lie is still a lie. So by
mperial Decree, she is
difference does it
make? Our job is to tell people what they
want to hear.
We are much alike in that way. No one
really wants to
hear the truth, good lady . . . they don't
really want to
know how they will die, that they havesadness and pain
in their future, that their name will declin
with their power and their appearance; th
in the end, all is swallowed by death and
silence.
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The Shadow of his Thoughtsby J. Michael Straczynski
page 7
But those are the sorts of things that Shiri could not
elp but tell them, because they are true. Sadly, I
uppose, they are always true. But truth has nothing
o do with what people like you and I want from theworld. Position. Influence. Money. As prophetess,
ou can say what you want, couch your intentions any
way you wish, without having to include any
nfortunate
r untimely truths."
"And when my prophecies fail to materialize?"
"Just be sufficiently artistic---that is to say, vague--
n your prophecies so that they can be interpreted later
n whatever fashion best serves you. A prophetessnce told me, 'You must save the eye that does not see.' "
Londo shrugged. "It's five years later, and I still don't
now what she meant."
For the first time, Delasi relaxed. Londo thought he
might actually see a smile forming but couldn't be sure.
"Tell me, Majesty, has a prophetess ever retired from
uwain?" she asked.
"They have all been retired by death. But to all things
Not today, perhaps, the Drakh sent bac
but there
is still tomorrow.
Yes, Londo thought, there is always
tomorrow.
Upon arriving back at the royal palaafter his
briefing from Minister Vole, Londo
returned to his suite, where he found a le
waiting for him. Though he had
not seen her handwriting before, he knew
even before opeining it that it came from
Shiri.
Thank you, the note read. There is nogift that I can give you that would be the
equal of the one you have
given me: my freedom, and the restoratio
of my father's House. So I give you the on
thing I have to give, the
last prophecy I intend to make.
One day, Emperor, you will be free of
your burden. One day you will save our
people, and all the sacrifices you make wnot have been in vain.
Londo set the note down again and
looked out at his
dear city, framed by scaffolding, climbin
its way back
from the horrors of war, and was surprise
to find tears running down his face.
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here must be a first time. Why?"
"Well, after five or ten years of work in His Majesty's
ervice, holding a position of such authority, I would
hink that a title and land would be only proper
ompensation.
o have the presence of a renowned prophetess placed
n the royal court itself would be most . . .
dvantageous.""It would indeed," Londo said, and this time there
was no mistaking it.
She was definitely smiling now.
Londo found the enshrinement at the riveruwain to be a magnificent ceremony, rich in color and
exture. Delasi, he thought, was quite stunning in her
own of white and gold, as she looked across the open
xpanse of stone and water at him with eyes thatlittered like small silver coins.
Which was most appropriate. What was it the humans
aid about the eyes being the window of the soul . . . ?
No matter, he decided. The understood one another.
The ride back to the capitol seemed shorter and less
dious than the ride out, even with the presence of the
Keeper intruding into his thoughts from time to time.
She is still a potential threat, the voice whispered
n his thoughts.True, but she has been publicly discredited. No one
will listen to her now. She is far from the palace, and
will never be allowed closer, so your secret is safe.
You should be reasonable. Even you cannot eliminate
ll of the potential threats.
The dream was the same. It wasalways the same.
The chakat lay on the ground before h
its four legs
bound by ropes, horns scratching the dry
ground beneath
its head. The sun was hot overhead.A voice, always the same voice,
whispered from behind
Londo. You know what you have to do.
What you have
always done.
Londo stared at the creature, and its ga
met his own. The eyes that looked back a
him were fierce, proud, unbowed.
And in the dream, the eyes that lookedback at him
were the eyes of Shiri, firghtened and
alone . . . they
were the eyes of his people as he passed
them on the
street . . . and then, at the last, he
recognized them for
what they were---his own eyes, looking u
at him.It is duty, a voice whispered. You cann
fight duty.
Londo looked down. The sword was i
his hand.
Yes, I can, he thought back, and broug
down the
sword, severing the ropes that bound the
creature's feet.
It staggered upright and met his gaze olast time.
Then, with a power and a freedom he had
never
experienced before, he watched it race
away, disappearing into the distance, into
the woods, into the future.
The dream never came to him again.
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